Sam’s May Gig Guide

If you thought April was big in little old Adelaide, music in the month of May is set to make your mind melt.

Now, with that tongue twister out of the way, let’s get down to business and rattle off some names to whet your appetites… Motez, Paces, Rudimental and metal giants Iron Maiden are all busting into town to give you their best and loudest, and that’s all in the first two weeks of the month!

Adelaide’s very own up-and-coming producer Motez will be ripping the roof off at Fat Controller on Friday 6th, following huge recent success and the release of his debut EP ‘The Vibe’, which features the likes of fellow SA export Tkay Maidza.

UK drum ‘n’ bass kings Rudimental are set to wow a crowd at the Entertainment Centre less than a week later, bringing their biggest headline tour to our own backyard. The versatile four-piece ensemble will be joined on Wednesday 11th by special guest Jess Glynne after a massive 2015 where she became the first female solo artist to notch up five chart-topping singles in the UK!

Thursday 12th May will see rock gods Iron Maiden slay ever-adoring fans on their ‘The Book of Souls’ album tour. Taking the stage at the Entertainment Centre, the metal icons will be playing their first set of Australian shows since 2011 – this is one you rockaholics do NOT want to miss!

Iron Maiden joins Adelaide on the 12th of May.

Gold Coast’s favourite producer Paces will be setting the pace at Fat Controller the following night, Friday 13th, breaking the stigma with his brilliant blend of electro and tropical-style summer house to our fair city. Paces’ debut album ‘Vacation’ dropped on 4th March and was met with glowing reviews; bring on the good vibes, this one will be one hell of a party!

Now, the big one; it sold out in the blink of an eye – yes, I’m talking about Violent Soho’s ‘WACO’ album tour. Not much needs to be said here… oh, except for the fact that the boys from Brissy are being supported at Thebby on Thursday 19th by both Dune Rats and DZ Deathrays on their biggest headline tour yet, forming a formidable formula affectionately labelled as the ‘Violent Death Rats’. For those of you lucky enough to have tickets, hydrate and survive, folks.

Little May and Last Dinosaurs are set to grace the stages at Adelaide UniBar and Fat Controller respectively the following night. The Friday 20th shows will see Little May returning shortly after their City & Colour national support slot and Last Dinosaurs back on home soil after a run of Asian headline shows.

Friday 20th also sees the eccentric Melbourne Ska Orchestra bring their big band into town for a show at the Gov. The larger-than-life ensemble will be touring on the back of their latest album, aptly named ‘Sierra-Kilo-Alpha’. Watch the super groovy new video for ‘Funkchunk’, the second single off the LP, below.

Local rockers The Beards will be playing the hometown leg of their farewell tour with a swansong show at Jive on Saturday 21st. In a show that’s bound to be a nostalgic, very hairy experience, The Beards will be rocking tracks from throughout their iconic, pro-beard, five-album career. Don’t miss your last chance to get sweaty with these legends!

In a fitting finale to the magical month of May, The Cat Empire blow into town on Thursday 26th on the back of the widespread success of their 6th studio album ‘Rising with the Sun’. The band’s oddball fusion of ska and jazz has become a staple on the Australian music scene since their formation in 1999, and their latest album is no exception – if you still don’t know what all the hype is about, this is the one you don’t want to miss!